With several of the fastest stock cars in the world running on the Talladega Superspeedway, it’s only natural to have some difficulty picking a winner for this weekend’s race. Fear not, though. Some of the best NASCAR experts have voiced their opinions heading into the Geico 500 at Talladega.
Read on as we take a look at what the experts have to say about the upcoming race. They’ll give their best bets, as well as some sleepers to keep an eye on for the Geico 500. For more on this race, check out our complete preview here.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski
Dark Horse
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Avoid
Tony Stewart
Jeff Gutowski of Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet gives us plenty of options to pick for the upcoming Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway. He’s given his top five racers—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski—as well as a couple more picks.
Earnhardt is the deserving favorite for this race. He leads all active drivers with six wins at Talladega; his most recent came in this particular race last year. He has also finished in the top 10 in half of his 32 starts at this track. Earnhardt certainly has a lot going for him heading into this ace.
Gutowski is adding Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as a dark horse for this race, while cautioning readers to stay away from Tony Stewart. Stenhouse could provide plenty of value in this race. He’s only had five starts at Talladega in his career, but finished in the top 10 in three of those.
Scout Fantasy
Expert
Pick
Brian Polking
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Brian Polking of Scout Fantasy gives his picks for this year’s Geico 500. Surprise-surprise, he has Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the No. 1 driver heading into this race. He notes that Earnhardt is the defending champion and has six wins at Talladega in his career. Earnhardt also has five finishes of third or better at restrictor-plate tracks. He’s the hot pick to win the race.
Earnhardt doesn’t suit your betting taste buds for this race? Polking has Denny Hamlin right behind Earnhardt as the No. 2 driver heading into Talladega. Hamlin won the Daytona 500 in February and should be primed for another big performance. He has seven top 10s in restrictor-plate events, the best in the series.
I Fantasy Race
Expert
Picks
Ryan Rantz
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson
You can count on Ryan Rantz of ifantasyrace to get in on the Dale Earnhardt Jr. bandwagon. It’s difficult to turn a blind eye on Earnhardt for this race. He’s an elite plate racer and has been the best at Talladega. Like mentioned above, he has six wins at the track, the most among all active racers in the Sprint Cup Series.
Earnhardt is the best pick for this race, but Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson could give him a run for his money. Harvick is one of the drivers to beat at Talladega. He’s a strong performer at the track, tied for the best average finish (10.2) over the last five races. He’s also finished in the top 15 in each of those five starts.
When looking at fast and reliable cars, Johnson deserves some credit. Rantz notes that Johnson has the second best car right behind Earnhardt heading into this race. Johnson narrowly missed out on a victory at last year’s Geico 500, finishing second with the second best driver rating. He led 50 laps, finishing right behind Earnhardt.
Armed with these experts picks, you now have all the ammunition needed to create a betting account and win big on the Geico 500.
